2012 Draft Profile - Terrence Jones

Terrence made the wise decision to come back to school and use his experience as a returning starter to help lead another top recruiting class to a national title. Terrence is a hybrid of a forward. At 6ft9 240+lbs he is one of the best looking athletes, he is thick and chiseled and left handed. Terrence is very physical and explosive, capable of finishing down low and rebounding in traffic. Terrence is also comfortable handling the ball on the perimeter and shooting from the outside all the way out to 3pt territory. Terrence gets his reputation from being a player that can get out and run in Kentucky’s uptempo system and getting on the highlight reel with explosive finishes in transition. What scouts really like about Terrance is his rebounding and defensive abilities, Jones has shown the ability to be a dynamic shot blocker and get steals on defensive, he has the athleticism and tenacity to lock down his man one on one and be a strong defender at multiple positions. Jones is one of the most versatile, athletic players in college basketball and has a really nice upside.

Terrence has picked up from where he left off with his attitude at times getting too emotional and self destructive play, and has even been benched at times and pulled from the starting lineup, much of that could be due to hand injuries however. Also, with his athleticism he should be better as a one on one player but he often tries gets out of control and commits turnovers or takes bad shots.

It will be interesting to follow Terrence Jones and Kentucky as the season moves on, they are capable of making a national title run and Jones could be their best player. If Terrence can carry his team late in the season and play consistent he could go all the way to a top 3 pick, but if he continues with inconsistent play or has emotional outbursts teams could be leery and fear a bust. Terrence has been compared to Lamar Odom for his left handed versatile inside/outside play, you can also compare to Josh Smith for his defense. Smith is a more talented shot blocker but Jones has potential to be a stopper as well as shot blocking threat. Terrence also reminds me of former high pick Marvin Williams who has floundered and shined at times as a versatile forward. I really like Terrence, if he never refines offensively he could still be a dynamic defender in the NBAPlayer profile submitted by: Tom Patterson

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2011 Draft Profile - Terrence Jones

Terrence Jones is college basketball’s most exciting “big man” to watch. He has the entire package to impress the NBA scouts. At 6 foot 9 weighing 210Ibs, he has the skill to not only become an inside threat but also has the jumper to kill any team from the perimeter. Jones is an extremely talented lefty who can play the 1- through- 4 position and has showed tremendous strengths in the paint. He handles the ball well enough like a guard and is comfortable breaking down opponents and taking the ball off the dribble from the perimeter. The McDonalds All-American shows great ability to score in a variety of ways, using his size and athleticism to get to the rim as well as knocking down mid range jumpers. Despite his ugly form of shooting, Jones has a nice touch from just about anywhere. He has an extremely competitive nature and a strong motor throughout the game. What has really impressed people is his strength around the rim. He can go up and get the ball with amazing athleticism and finish just as well as any top rebounder s in the country. Fun to watch and can really take over the game.

Weakness with Jones is his speed and his jumpshot. A very unorthodox and lacking fundamental jumpshot can be adjusted. He brings the ball across his body before he shoots and doesn’t square his elbow to the rim. His lack of a fundamental shot means it breaks down the further from the basket he shoots. Speed is another concern, but through conditioning and more footwork training the speed/quickness will come around. He must become more mature emotionally, but uses his intensity to keep playing and drive to win.

NOTES: He was the #8 player in the class of 2010 by Scout.com and #9 by ESPNU Top 100. Jones led Jefferson High School to three straight Oregon Class 5A state championships through his sophomore and senior year. Selected to play in the McDonalds All-American game as well as the 2010 Jordan Brand Classic.Player profile submitted by: Patrick Cooper - Bellefonte College Sports-Insider

Jones possesses elite size, strength and athleticism. The lefty also has good ball handling and shooting range. Has drawn favorable comparisons to Lamar Odom with the ability to be a force down low and is comfortable on the perimeter as well. His athletic play is no stranger to the highlight reel, and being a Kentucky Wildcat has made him a household name with hoops fans. His greatest asset is getting out in the open floor and finishing in an up-temp system. Although he has good shooting range, he needs work on his mechanics to get his shot off quicker and be more consistent.

Jones has shown that at times he is too emotional, his play can also get out of control so consistency is an area too improve. He got the unfair knock of being selfish for a spat with Coach Cal for an ill advised shot at the end of a game, but he is a guy that teammates like and is a very willing defender which is rare in a star player. He can blow by opponents with dunks or dominate the paint, but he can also hurt his team with turnovers or bad shooting performances. The same goes for his defense, he can be a real difference maker even at the next level but can lack concentration at times and get into meaningless foul trouble.

Jones has the athletic tools scouts look for, but he will need to develop his maturity and weaknesses for his prowess to translate in the NBA long term. Harnessing him in effectively will be the key in him reaching his potential similar to Lamar Odom or Josh Smith, or whether he disappoints like Darius Miles or Stromile Swift.Player profile submitted by: Tom Patterson